


Trials of Voyage

by notupforpolo



Series: Trials of Voyage [1]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fuck the Greeks and their Mythology, Gen, Internal Conflict, Minecraft, Minecraft World Dynamics, Mythology References, Platonic Cuddling, Realistic Minecraft, References to Norse Religion & Lore, Sapnap Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), Short One Shot, The Boys are Tired and Fighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:02:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28432107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notupforpolo/pseuds/notupforpolo
Summary: Sapnap, Dream, and Geroge have been travelling for some time now. After such a long time on the road, their freindship had wilted and things have turned sour. As Sapnap finaly adresses the issue, George wants to tell a story.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: Trials of Voyage [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2104872
Kudos: 29





	Trials of Voyage

**Author's Note:**

> CW: Conflicts among friends
> 
> This is my first fic in this fandom. With all these refrences to greek mythology I wanted to higlight the fact that norse mythology is interesting too (and the fact that since the game is swedish I would like to belive those are the stories in-game characters would grow up with).

“Do you guys remember how it was before we went on this trip?”

George let out a huff. It could very well have been perceived as a laugh, but Sapnap knew better. He shot George a worried look for a second but turned his gaze towards the night sky instead. He found the view to be more hopeful than staring at his friend’s constant facade. Sapnap had never truly had an affinity for space, not the same way George did. 

George could read the stars just as well as he read the compass. When they had been younger, still had that light in their eyes, that childish curiosity, George would sneak out and watch the stars. He would speak animatedly about constellations and mythology; about his own theories and the ones he had read in books. Sapnap would listen closely, but it went in one ear and out the other. No, Sapnap preferred to stay on the ground. Literally and figuratively. 

“Have you heard the story of when Utgarda-Loki challenged Thor?” George asks in place of a clear answer. He, too, is looking up at the sky. Sapnap shifts his gaze towards the campfire in front of them, mirroring Dream. Fire was Sapnap’s passion. George had his stars that gave the night something akin to light. Sapnap would light a fire that made the dark scurry away in flash.

“Probably, but I don’t remember it.” Sapnap conjured up a memory of the children of his village sitting by a fire, much like the one he was staring into, and listening to an elder telling stories of gods. Even then, Sapnap had been entranced by the fire and Dream never truly listened. He was too occupied in his own head. 

George huffed again, without looking down he started, “Once, Thor asked Loki to follow him to the land of the giants, Utgarda, to meet with their king, Utgarda-Loki. After Loki reluctantly agrees, they venture out on a journey. They face some trials along the way, but when they finally make it to Utgarda-Loki’s fortress, Utgarda-Loki has challenges for them.” George was always a great storyteller. He wasn’t a natural bard like Wilbur, but he sounded invested in every tale he told. This time – for the first time – something was missing. Sapnap was overcome by an empty feeling as George continued. 

“Loki has to compete against Logi in an eating contest. Loki is beat when Logi not only eats all the meat but the bone and knives too. Next, Thor’s and Loki’s companion suffers a terrible defeat and then Thor steps up. He has to drink from the horn Hall. Utgarda-Loki states that most of his men empty it in one go, some in two. However, after Thor has drunk three times, the horn still seems full and he is deemed to have lost.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Sapnap can see Dream shift his body towards George ever so slightly. Dream is for once paying attention and Sapnap wants to scream at the familiarity of it all. It is almost Deja vû, the three of them sitting around a campfire and telling stories. 

A memory makes itself known and Sapnap lets it take him with it. Suddenly he is a year younger, sitting in a cave. The rhythmic pitter-patter of rain and the sound of a fire cracking sets the scene as George’s voice takes the melody. They had just left prosperous L’Manburg at the time and George had found that there was no shortage of stories in their library. Sapnap and Dream had never heard the story before, and that made George even more excited. The three of them are laughing and the sounds echo in the cave.

Then he’s back to damp tree bark digging into his back, a monotone voice that barely overpowers the wind, and friends he can’t bring himself to look at too long. It feels like a kick to the stomach, only Sapnap wishes someone would care enough to knock the wind out of him.

“Thor suffers another defeat as he can’t lift Utgarda-Loki’s cat off of the ground. Finally, in a desperate attempt to reclaim his honour, he claims he can wrestle anyone. Utgarda-Loki volunteered his very old mother and still, Thor can’t win. When Thor and Loki leave the fortress, Utgarda-Loki tells them that he tricked them.” A smile is creeping into George's voice, but Sapnap can’t imagine it being a happy one. In L’Manberg, Technoblade had said he would bet that George was hiding copious amounts of cynicism under all the layers of happiness and humour. Back then, Dream had laughed airily and Sapnap needed to ask what the word meant. Now, he could see it.

“Logi was actually the personification of fire and their companion had to run against the soul. The horn had its end in the ocean, and Thor’s drinking had actually created tides. The cat he couldn't lift was the Midgard Serpent, the serpent carrying the world. The old woman was old age, one can never stop ageing,” George finished. Somewhat hesitantly, he lowers his head and moves his neck around a bit. He’s looking straight through the fire, missing Sapnap along with it.

An especially strong gust of wind passes through the meadow, amplifying the now present silence. Dream pushed himself up from his position lying down. “You didn’t answer the question,” he states. His mask is obscuring his eyes, so Sapnap can’t know where he is looking. He desperately wants to know. Dream had his feet on the ground at all times, he was drawn to the forest.

Their village had been right next to a forest. Sapnap and Dream were joined to the hip since they were toddlers, George’s family had moved in when the pair were in their early teens. Children weren’t allowed to go into the forest, for good reason. The tales of monsters and witches and darkness had scared the other kids, but never Dream. Dream wanted to explore and find out for himself, and with Sapnap by his side darkness would never scare him. Dream was quicker in the trees than on the forest floor, navigating through the leaves as if his life depended on it without fail.

The mask was unforgiving as it gave away nothing. Nevertheless, George took what Sapnap would describe as bait. “We went on this great trip, only to, again and again, be tested. I’m tired of finding out we were never meant to succeed,” he explained, frustration leaking into his tone. 

Sapnap finally meets his eyes. “No. We gave up,” he exclaimed, without knowing where the comment even came from. Not letting it simmer, Sapnap spoke up again. “The first year was great. We had a great time in the Badlands and when we went to L'Manberg. Then I don’t know what happened. Then we just turned into whatever this even is. George your story can suck it. That’s not what's happening to us.” 

Sapnap was looking between Dream and George rapidly. Waiting for some kind of reaction to his unexpected bout of passion. Dream was sitting up straight not moving a muscle. A multitude of emotions was flickering over George’s face all at once. 

“Not everything works out like we think it will, Sapnap,” said George. 

“That’s bull. You don’t even believe that yourself,” answered Dream

“This is exactly what I mean.”

“You know what, Sapnap?” started George. ” You aren’t any better than us. It’s not like you have tried to lighten the mood either.” He had begun fidgeting with something in his hand. A coin with an ingrained sigma. A gift from Sam of all people.

“I have too! At first, I did try to be positive and be nice and all! You and Dream didn’t like, do anything with it. You two just kept being depressing,” said Sapnap in a flurry. His voice was getting higher and higher with every sentence and his face showing more and more. It was a childish argument, he was well aware, but he was also at his wit's end. “I’m getting burned out, man.”

Another piece of wood was thrown onto the dying fire by Dream. His face was turned downwards. “What do you want us to do? I guess we could play house but no one of us is gonna put up with that.” He moved closer to the fire as he said it. Soon it was going to be winter and yet again the darkness gave them nothing. The trees around them protected them from the even harsher winds. Even so, the leaves were starting to fall down and all three knew that they would have to resort to the village inns soon. 

“We need to work on it, all three of us! All of us could be nicer and stuff. George could stop antagonizing us the first chance he gets. Dream-” 

“When did you learn that word,” said George, cutting Sapnap off. Dream turned his face towards George. He was clenching his fist.

“You just did it,” continued Sapnap. “Dream could stop acting like he is the only person capable of stuff and I guess I need to control my mood swings.” 

A single leaf was carried by the wind into the fire. It landed almost perfectly in the middle of the flame and was disintegrated in seconds. In the distance, a pack of wolves could be heard. The nearest village was almost eight hundred blocks away so no foreign lights could be seen. They all had a weapon right next to them. Sapnap could quickly reach for his swords, Dream’s fingers were grazing the handle of his axe, and George had an arrow already loaded in his bow.

Monsters were always nearby when they were spending nights out in the wilderness. Meadows were optimal in that sense. Caves locked them in and out on the plains they had nowhere to hide. Tonight, they had lucked out. 

George huffed for the third time, it was really getting on Sapnap’s nerves. “Fine. I get it.” His eyes turned to the sky again. “The reason Utgarda-Loki tricked Thor and Loki was that he knew the giants would feel threatened by Thor’s strength. In the story, he says that Thor would never have been let into the giant’s feast if he had been able to show his true strength.”

“Mythology is kinda stupid. I mean, how could you personify fire or like, drink an ocean. Thor would have had to pee so bad, dude. His bladder would explode,” scoffed Sapnap. A smile creeping in on his face. Dream let out a wheeze and even George cracked a smile. George pointed up into the sky. He was pointing to a specific spot in the sky, but Sapnap couldn’t spot anything special. “That star that’s extra bright, that’s Aurvandill's toe. Aurvandill was Thor’s friend whom he rescued, but one of his toes had gotten frost-bite. So Thor took the toe and threw it into the sky and it became a star.”

“That’s even more stupider.”

Dream had to bend over to get air. His tea kettle laughs cutting through the silence. Between laughs, he managed to say something comprehendible. “That’s not- that’s not even correct English.”

“If the universe thinks we are too powerful I can say whatever the honk I want to say!” The campfire was burning just a little bit brighter, the log Dream had thrown in finally burning in earnest. “What time is it George?” he then asked, promoting George to pull out a watch from his bag. “Around one. We should sleep because if we pack up and leave before eight we’ll be at the village at around three tomorrow. 

Dream stood up and moved his leather sleeping bag closer to Sapnap. Grabbing his backpack and axe, leaning them on the same tree the younger was already occupying. Jokingly, he pushed them down, spreading his arms so that his body was taking up more of the tree. Dream laughed and pushed him down so that he was lying in an awkward position on his own sleeping bag. “I’ll take the first watch.”

Carefully watching his friend's antics, George too moved his sleeping bag closer to Sapnap. Sapnap turned from Dream to give him a look. “What,” defended George. ”You’re warm… Hotnap.” Sapnap pushed him down and manhandled him so that his face was in the fur lining the bag. 

“What? What?!” 

“Oh my God, George. You suck so bad.”

Sapnap smiled sheepishly. “All we can do is try, I guess.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> I hope it wasn't to badly written or anything, I just wrote this on a whim. It physicaly pained me to write the anglicised spellings of the people as I grew up with the Swedish ones, but you gotta adapt to your adience (if there is one) I guess. 
> 
> I left out the begging of the myth because it isn't really relevant to the story I was trying to tell, but it's very interesting. You can find it on wikipedia if someone is interested. I say fuck the greeks, they are overrated. Time for pagan viking belifs to take center stage.
> 
> Just set up a mcyttwt [twitter](https://twitter.com/mayymeow1) :)


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